What an enriching and inspiring speech that literally melted my indifferent soul as I face the numerous students who climb up the ascended podium yet promising nothing but inconspicuous speeches that leaves a monotonous ring in my brain. Perhaps I am not suited for the principle of meritocracy when the reward does not affect me in any way possible, but my ears had been cleared from boredom the moment that man stood on stage.

He wowed the crowd without a single word. He stole the school's envy without any flowery speech. He took my breathe away without any superhuman action. He was my, and our, friend and he will always be. Khairul Rusydi, a legacy that was born to my eyes just a few months back, but has made such a lasting impression that will be imprinted and carved upon our hearts forever.

I may not have known him personally back then, just another relief teacher who felt he had the capability to replace Paul Lim's irreplaceable lessons. He was a man with a weird name which I could never remember, a youth in adult's clothes trying to prove his worth as a part-time teacher. He was nothing in my eyes, just a friendly stranger that stood among the crowd of figures I envisioned in my mind. But it was different, he was a stranger among the crowds that had his body sketched out, his features framed perfectly in my memory, because something about him released an awe that stole this special attention he deserved...

And I did grow, mature into this Rafflesian warmth that he has so strongly exhibited in his premature stay here. He was a Rafflesian few years back but has obviously not forgotten the family ties we all possess and yet do not cherish. He sparked off this re-ignition of this brotherly compassion that was lost for a while. And for that, I thank him...

And maybe his challenged posed seems relatively simple but it requires the unity of many. I have observed friendships in RI, stronger than you can imagine, and I have experienced--because I form the community of Scouting bonds. I cannot say the same for other CCAs but I can be guaranteed there is a minimum sense of belonging to each other. What we need to do is to find the common union between all this mini-bonds (hur hur, economic depression again!) and morph this correlation into a binding unity that remains forever.

We can do it because a Rafflesian has said so. It may be gruelling but it CAN BE DONE! So let it be 3 years, a decade, 2 decades--We will complete it eventually so Rusydi, your dreams will not dissipate into nothingness but will transcend into reality.